University of Georgia
West Virginia
Gym Dogs Post 196.725 In Win Over WVU
January 17, 2011 | Gymnastics
Jan. 17, 2011
ATHENS, Ga. --- The fifth-ranked Georgia gymnastics team posted a season-high 196.725 - the second-best score in the country to date - in Monday afternoon's win over EAGL rival West Virginia inside Stegeman Coliseum.
The Gym Dogs had a quick turnaround this week, coming off Saturday's home opener vs. Utah, but improved their team score almost a full point today to defeat the No. 18 Mountaineers 196.725-192.125. Georgia improves to 4-1 on the season as WVU falls to 2-1. Georgia remains perfect all-time vs. West Virginia, now owning a 25-0 series record.
"Today felt a lot better, but it's not even the score that does that for us," said head coach Jay Clark. "It's about the fact that we competed four events and executed four events. That's what we've been talking about all along. We spent a lot of time talking about wanting to be a team that takes advantage of opportunities and not a team that lets opportunities slip away. I was proud of the maturity that they showed tonight. We had a fall on beam and they could have lost their focus but they didn't. That is a sign of a team that is growing up and has pride in what they're doing. I was just really proud of their effort, and it feels good to know that we can put four events together."
The Gym Dogs also improved their individual event scores from Saturday on every rotation but vault. In all, Georgia saw seven scores of 9.9 or above, three of those belonging to senior Cassidy McComb who won the all-around with a 39.525.
Georgia's first event was vault, where they were again led by freshman Lindsey Cheek with her 9.825. McComb turned in a 9.800 performance to help the Gym Dogs to a score of 48.875. After WVU scored a 47.850 on bars, Georgia took the early lead and never looked back.
The Gym Dogs shined on their next event - the bars - getting three 9.9s or above including a 9.950 from junior Kat Ding. Gina Nuccio scored a 9.925, tying her career-best, while McComb totaled a 9.900 to match her best performance as well. Sophomore Christa Tanella set a new career-best mark with a 9.850 on bars as Georgia put up a 49.450 on the event - their highest since scoring a 49.500 at the 2009 SEC Championships. The Mountaineers completed vault with a team score of 48.375 as Georgia took a 98.325-96.225 lead halfway through competition.
Georgia was on beam next, where McComb anchored the event with another 9.900. Behind her, the trio of Noel Couch, Hilary Mauro, and Shayla Worley each posted 9.825s as Georgia ended up with a 49.150 there. McComb's 9.9 was a career-high. West Virginia scored a 48.375 on floor as Georgia built its lead to 147.475-144.600 after three.
Rounding out the day for the Gym Dogs was floor, an event they struggled with on Saturday. But Georgia saw vast improvement, going from a 48.600 vs. Utah to a 49.250 today. The squad got three more 9.9s on floor, led by McComb's 9.925 which tied her career-best effort. That was followed by matching 9.9s for Mauro and Couch to secure the Gym Dogs' third 49 or above of the day. WVU wrapped up the day with a 47.525 on balance beam, sealing the 196.725-192.125 win for the Gym Dogs.
In all-around action, McComb's 39.525 earned her her second straight four-event title, as she was followed by her teammate Couch with a 39.150, raising the New Jersey native's career-high by one-tenth. The Mountaineers' Amy Bieski was their highest all-around finisher with a 39.000.
Event titles were a sweep for the Gym Dogs, going to Cheek (vault), Ding (bars), and McComb (beam and floor). McComb won two individual events plus the all-around for the second straight meet. She has now won a total of seven individual titles through three meets.
"Today felt like a win," McComb said. "It was earned and it was well-deserved. We executed like we should, and it was a great feeling to put it out on the floor and show what we've been doing. We had little mistakes here and there, but the positive thing was that we didn't react to them. The next person had the next person's back, and it was a team effort collectively. Today was about finishing what we started. We didn't start as good as we did Saturday, but we needed to finish floor like we know how to do floor. We just needed to be us and do what we are capable of doing. When we all have our heads on together it really is magical what happens."
Georgia's score today was the second-highest of the season in the country behind only Florida's 196.850. Stanford is the only other team with a 196 or above as of Monday's action (196.625).
Today's meet will be aired on CSS on tape delay, Jan. 27 at 9 p.m.
Georgia is next in action this Fri., Jan. 21 for their third straight home meet and the SEC opener vs. Auburn. The meet begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
SCORING
Team Results
1. Georgia - 196.725
2. West Virginia - 192.125
Georgia Individual Results
Vault (48.875): Noel Couch - 9.750; Mariel Box - 9.650; Hilary Mauro - 9.750; Cassidy McComb - 9.800; Lindsey Cheek - 9.825; Cat Hires - 9.750
Bars (49.450): Christa Tanella - 9.850; Noel Couch - 9.675; Gina Nuccio - 9.925; Cassidy McComb - 9.900; Kat Ding - 9.950; Shayla Worley - 9.825
Beam (49.150): Noel Couch - 9.825; Lindsey Cheek - 9.775; Christa Tanella - 9.275; Hilary Mauro - 9.825; Shayla Worley - 9.825; Cassidy McComb - 9.900
Floor (49.250): Lindsey Cheek - 9.800; Mariel Box - 9.700; Noel Couch - 9.900; Chrisa Tanella - 9.725; Cassidy McComb - 9.925; Hilary Mauro - 9.900
